One has seen bees hold up Test matches at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium, dogs interrupt proceedings at Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla and floodlights go on the blink at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
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But one has never witnessed flying insects descend upon a cricket stadium the SuperSport Park at Centurion in this case and indulge in an unabashed, orgiastic public display of what comes naturally, figuratively speaking, to birds, bees and to homo sapiens, of course.
It happened during the Champions Trophy semi-final in South Africa's capital Pretoria during the break on Friday evening after England had scored 247 all out in 47.3 overs, a score that made fond hope of a win over Australia, their cricketing nemesis, surge among their fans.
But 'interruptus' was soon laid on the cricket in the romantic afterglow of an African sunset as thousands of besotted winged insects descended upon the lush lawns and exulted in an ecstatic 10-minute fluttery exhibition of fornication in the bright glare of the floodlights.
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England wicketkeeper Steve Davies leaves the field before Australia's innings when a swarm of flying ants arrived during the Champions Trophy semi-final between England and Australia on Friday. |
The players and umpires Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar (the latter adjudged ICC Umpire of the Year at a glittering awards function the previous evening) scurried to the sanctum sanctorum of the pavilion, leaving the winged cricket-like creatures to consummate their love-in.
For the record, Australian batsmen Ricky Ponting (111 n o) and Shane Watson (136 n o) staged their own Saturnalia out in the middle, feasting on the impotent England attack to carve out an impressive nine-wicket victory. They put on a record partnership of 252 runs for the second wicket.
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